Magdalena
13 Aug 2012
Language / Ł -- English double-u or hard L sound? [30]
"Zabużanie" is the correct term AFAIK.
(so-called Zabugaje)
"Zabużanie" is the correct term AFAIK.
Magdalena
12 Aug 2012
Language / Ł -- English double-u or hard L sound? [30]
Elderly.
High class, snobbish, silly, indifferent?
Elderly.
Magdalena
12 Aug 2012
Language / De-diacriticalisation of Polish? [9]
"Re-created" is the key word here. He forced the whole nation to change completely - starting with the political system and ending with fashion. Spelling reform (AFAIK, it was more than spelling reform - was it not the introduction of a new script altogether?) would have been just a part of the Turkish National Makeover. I can see how the historical context enabled him to pull it off at that time and place. However, I cannot see this happening in contemporary Poland.
"Re-created" is the key word here. He forced the whole nation to change completely - starting with the political system and ending with fashion. Spelling reform (AFAIK, it was more than spelling reform - was it not the introduction of a new script altogether?) would have been just a part of the Turkish National Makeover. I can see how the historical context enabled him to pull it off at that time and place. However, I cannot see this happening in contemporary Poland.
Magdalena
12 Aug 2012
Language / De-diacriticalisation of Polish? [9]
That's not the actual function of these marks, though. Their function is to actually MAKE the text intelligible. £aska and laska, lud and lód are just the most obvious examples that spring to mind. You cannot replace them with a system designed for another language precisely because it had been designed for another language. And it would be mind-shatteringly costly in terms of money, education, and national identity to create a completely new system from scratch. So don't worry, Polish spelling definitely isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
a, ć, ę, ń, ł, ó, ś, ź and ż is what makes a text recognisable as Polish
That's not the actual function of these marks, though. Their function is to actually MAKE the text intelligible. £aska and laska, lud and lód are just the most obvious examples that spring to mind. You cannot replace them with a system designed for another language precisely because it had been designed for another language. And it would be mind-shatteringly costly in terms of money, education, and national identity to create a completely new system from scratch. So don't worry, Polish spelling definitely isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Magdalena
12 Aug 2012
Language / De-diacriticalisation of Polish? [9]
Jeez. Lazy as hell? Most mobiles don't have diacritical marks, at least not ones you could easily access. Nobody's gonna change the orthography, it's been discussed before by smarter people than us, and it simply wouldn't work. Czechs don't have the sz, cz, rz (which BTW are NOT diacritics) but they have the ě š è ř ž ý á í é ú ů - as much as I love Czech, I couldn't call this an improvement on Polish spelling, diacritics-wise... ;-)
Jeez. Lazy as hell? Most mobiles don't have diacritical marks, at least not ones you could easily access. Nobody's gonna change the orthography, it's been discussed before by smarter people than us, and it simply wouldn't work. Czechs don't have the sz, cz, rz (which BTW are NOT diacritics) but they have the ě š è ř ž ý á í é ú ů - as much as I love Czech, I couldn't call this an improvement on Polish spelling, diacritics-wise... ;-)
Magdalena
12 Aug 2012
UK, Ireland / Poles 'failing to integrate in the UK'? [58]
So a lot like expats on Polish Forums then?
Where the local Polski Sklep is, and moaning how terrible our NHS, Food, Beer, Weather is.
So a lot like expats on Polish Forums then?
Magdalena
4 Aug 2012
Language / Hejka / Nara - a trendy youth greeting in Poland? [26]
I would say the meaning is pretty much the same - informal greeting. The difference would lie mainly in the age of the speaker, as each of these greetings was cool at a different time ;-) Of course, they are all used interchangeably, sometimes ironically.
I would say the meaning is pretty much the same - informal greeting. The difference would lie mainly in the age of the speaker, as each of these greetings was cool at a different time ;-) Of course, they are all used interchangeably, sometimes ironically.
Magdalena
1 Aug 2012
Real Estate / Recommendations- low cost sworn translator for signing of Notary deed in Poland [5]
Go to the website of the Ministry of Justice, they keep an online register of sworn translators, and choose a translator who lives closest to the place of signing. This will help lower the price somewhat as you will probably be expected to pay for travel time and travel costs.
Go to the website of the Ministry of Justice, they keep an online register of sworn translators, and choose a translator who lives closest to the place of signing. This will help lower the price somewhat as you will probably be expected to pay for travel time and travel costs.
Magdalena
27 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Szamovo or Szumowo? I Can't Tell Where He Was - maybe in Poland? [10]
And you think all Polish Lithuanians are / were Jews? Also, Lithuania and Belarus lie right next to each other and there was a lot of overlap historically. E.g. my grandfather lived in Lithuania before WW2, but spoke Polish and Belarussian at home - I guess he must have been Jewish then as well ;-)
Remember that he claimed to be a Polish Lithuanian to hide his Jewishness.
And you think all Polish Lithuanians are / were Jews? Also, Lithuania and Belarus lie right next to each other and there was a lot of overlap historically. E.g. my grandfather lived in Lithuania before WW2, but spoke Polish and Belarussian at home - I guess he must have been Jewish then as well ;-)
Magdalena
19 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
Please - you don't have the money for a postage stamp to Poland? And an envelope and sheet of paper?
I don't have that kind of money.
Please - you don't have the money for a postage stamp to Poland? And an envelope and sheet of paper?
Magdalena
19 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
Good old fashioned snail mail would be much more effective methinks. The trick is that official correspondence coming in has to be filed, recorded and dealt with according to procedure, while email is still a sort of gray area and is quite easy to delete if it lands in the wrong inbox, i.e. in the inbox of someone who for whatever reasons cannot or will not help you.
Still no e-mail back
Good old fashioned snail mail would be much more effective methinks. The trick is that official correspondence coming in has to be filed, recorded and dealt with according to procedure, while email is still a sort of gray area and is quite easy to delete if it lands in the wrong inbox, i.e. in the inbox of someone who for whatever reasons cannot or will not help you.
Magdalena
19 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
As I told you, you would need to write to the Register Office in Suwałki (and probably Sejny as well) asking for records.
I tried getting in touch a few times
As I told you, you would need to write to the Register Office in Suwałki (and probably Sejny as well) asking for records.
Magdalena
19 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
BTW, the surnames Morgiewicz and Andrulewicz also show up rather strongly near Sejny and Suwałki, while the Czarneckis are equally distributed all over Poland. So do it, get in touch, because they won't - they probably have no idea of your existence.
Nicki - how did you just type the "ł" above then? ;-)
BTW, the surnames Morgiewicz and Andrulewicz also show up rather strongly near Sejny and Suwałki, while the Czarneckis are equally distributed all over Poland. So do it, get in touch, because they won't - they probably have no idea of your existence.
I just don't have the Polish "ł" on my keyboard
Nicki - how did you just type the "ł" above then? ;-)
Magdalena
19 Jul 2012
Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]
Believe me, people were never LESS brainwashed than during communist times. You had to learn to read between the lines and speak in riddles sometimes... ;-)
because it takes time for people to become unbrainwashed.
Believe me, people were never LESS brainwashed than during communist times. You had to learn to read between the lines and speak in riddles sometimes... ;-)
Magdalena
19 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
Why would you ignore the Daniłowicz people when they seem to be so close to your relative's home? Are you not interested in who they are? I though you wanted to learn more about your family, but you seem to be skirting the issue and sort of trying to sweep them under the carpet. Weird...
Why would you ignore the Daniłowicz people when they seem to be so close to your relative's home? Are you not interested in who they are? I though you wanted to learn more about your family, but you seem to be skirting the issue and sort of trying to sweep them under the carpet. Weird...
Magdalena
19 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
There are 1027 people currently living in Poland with the surname Daniłowicz. A bunch of them live in Sejny and Suwałki (the red areas), so they would be close to the place your family comes from. The most (69) live in Suwałki. So your family might well still be there.
only one Daniłowicz family lives in Poland now according to that map
There are 1027 people currently living in Poland with the surname Daniłowicz. A bunch of them live in Sejny and Suwałki (the red areas), so they would be close to the place your family comes from. The most (69) live in Suwałki. So your family might well still be there.
Magdalena
18 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
Oh but you are, and there's the rub! ;-)
You disregard the etymology and history of both Spanish and Polish surnames completely. You have been told when Polish surnames started to emerge; you have been told where the surname Czarnecki comes from; and you have been reminded that Polish Jews only started taking on surnames approx. 200 years ago. Your possibly Jewish relatives could have been called Czarnecki for a number of reasons, but definitely not because they were descended from Sephardic Spanish Jews.
I can understand that, but they also did not have the organisation and logistics back then for a full-blown document-destroying operation. Things were a lot more hit-and-miss, and people or documents would slip through the net. That's all I've been saying all this time.
I'm really curious how far this thread can go before someone's brain explodes ;-)
Spot on. And frankly, we've all been quite pleasant to you all this while and it's not us doing the name-calling. I have absolutely nothing against you as a person. I am even trying to have a relatively serious discussion with you on one of the wilder claims that I have ever come across.
understand that accepting that "Czarnecki" may have been "Czarnegaje" and, before that, "Sotosnegros" may be hard; but I'm not just pulling these theories out of my head and/or my butt.
Oh but you are, and there's the rub! ;-)
You disregard the etymology and history of both Spanish and Polish surnames completely. You have been told when Polish surnames started to emerge; you have been told where the surname Czarnecki comes from; and you have been reminded that Polish Jews only started taking on surnames approx. 200 years ago. Your possibly Jewish relatives could have been called Czarnecki for a number of reasons, but definitely not because they were descended from Sephardic Spanish Jews.
The Spanish and others weren't as interested in having a "Museum Of An Extinct Race" during the Inquisition and Crusades.
I can understand that, but they also did not have the organisation and logistics back then for a full-blown document-destroying operation. Things were a lot more hit-and-miss, and people or documents would slip through the net. That's all I've been saying all this time.
I'm really curious how far this thread can go before someone's brain explodes ;-)
Anyway, we can't be anti-Semitic towards a baptised Catholic who attended mass on a regular basis for years.
Spot on. And frankly, we've all been quite pleasant to you all this while and it's not us doing the name-calling. I have absolutely nothing against you as a person. I am even trying to have a relatively serious discussion with you on one of the wilder claims that I have ever come across.
Magdalena
18 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
Oh dear. I never said they wouldn't have dared, I said they wouldn't have had the time. Logistics, pure and simple.
Also, the didn't want to wipe them out of existence, they wanted to make sure that any Spanish Jews earlier converted to Catholicism stayed that way. It's not quite the same thing. And believe me, I know my history and I do know it was no laughing matter either way. OK?
We hijacked the thread by repeatedly telling you that your theory is extremely far-fetched to say the least?
By suggesting that the Spaniards wouldn't have dared to try to wipe out the records of the very people that they wanted to wipe out of existence,
Oh dear. I never said they wouldn't have dared, I said they wouldn't have had the time. Logistics, pure and simple.
Also, the didn't want to wipe them out of existence, they wanted to make sure that any Spanish Jews earlier converted to Catholicism stayed that way. It's not quite the same thing. And believe me, I know my history and I do know it was no laughing matter either way. OK?
hijacking this thread; which was about whether "Czarnecki" and "Czerwiński" could've come from bastardized or Polonized forums of, respectively, "Czarnegaje" and "Sotonegros", "Sotorojos" , etc.
We hijacked the thread by repeatedly telling you that your theory is extremely far-fetched to say the least?
Magdalena
18 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
I can believe the murdering part, but I can't see officers of the Inquisition or the crusaders ferreting round for people's personal correspondence, household bills or birth, marriage, and death records in order to destroy it all. They would have been too busy doing that to actually find time to kill anyone. ;-)
But were the records all destroyed? ;-)
If that is so, why do all know about medieval Spanish Jews and admire their huge achievements? I'm serious.
I probably can (never tried to), but I am not. I am simply not kowtowing to whatever you say just because you call yourself a Jew. Your being whatever ethnicity / nationality / religion has absolutely nothing to do with being automatically right on any subject.
Whole families were murdered and had evidence of their existence destroyed in the Crusades, Inquisition, etc..
I can believe the murdering part, but I can't see officers of the Inquisition or the crusaders ferreting round for people's personal correspondence, household bills or birth, marriage, and death records in order to destroy it all. They would have been too busy doing that to actually find time to kill anyone. ;-)
but since all the records were destroyed, you have none whatever evidence that it wasn't so, do you? :)
But were the records all destroyed? ;-)
The Spaniards wouldn't have wanted proof that Jews who didn't believe in Jesus were ever in existence in Spain.
If that is so, why do all know about medieval Spanish Jews and admire their huge achievements? I'm serious.
You can be really evil and Anti Semitic.
I probably can (never tried to), but I am not. I am simply not kowtowing to whatever you say just because you call yourself a Jew. Your being whatever ethnicity / nationality / religion has absolutely nothing to do with being automatically right on any subject.
Magdalena
18 Jul 2012
History / Poland and Polish Anti-Semitism, c. 1918-1939 [148]
Ex-act-ly. BINGO ;-)
By that definition anyone who disagrees with a Jewish person about anything is automatically an anti Semite!
Ex-act-ly. BINGO ;-)
Magdalena
18 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
...because it's very extremely improbable...? ;-)
actually, why not? :)
...because it's very extremely improbable...? ;-)
Magdalena
18 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
Yeah, I don't like that part either. They couldn't have all been that bad. They look pleasant enough in the photos Nicole posted (not that I really endorse publishing pictures of your relatives online).
Sotosnegros and Sotosrojos have exactly 0 Google hits. I just checked. Are you implying that ALL the bearers of these hypothetical surnames left for Poland, and ALL subsequently had their surnames "polonised"?
Polonisation of some foreign surnames did happen, but it was not usually a translation of the meaning, merely an accommodation to the phonetics of the target language. There is nothing difficult to pronounce about Sotosnegros or Sotosrojos for a Polish person. But we both know that these surnames do not exist anyway ;-)
The whole stuff with endless relatives being smeared is rather disturbing though...
Yeah, I don't like that part either. They couldn't have all been that bad. They look pleasant enough in the photos Nicole posted (not that I really endorse publishing pictures of your relatives online).
Polonize last names such as "Sotosnegros", "Rojosnegros", and "Sotosrojos".
Sotosnegros and Sotosrojos have exactly 0 Google hits. I just checked. Are you implying that ALL the bearers of these hypothetical surnames left for Poland, and ALL subsequently had their surnames "polonised"?
Polonisation of some foreign surnames did happen, but it was not usually a translation of the meaning, merely an accommodation to the phonetics of the target language. There is nothing difficult to pronounce about Sotosnegros or Sotosrojos for a Polish person. But we both know that these surnames do not exist anyway ;-)
Magdalena
18 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
Oh, but the forms and corruptions always stay true to the character of the given language, you see... And surnames are not place names and have evolved differently.
Various formats and corruptions can happen in any language.
Oh, but the forms and corruptions always stay true to the character of the given language, you see... And surnames are not place names and have evolved differently.
Magdalena
18 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
czarneccy.strefa.pl/html/etymology.html
If you are really interested.
Also, if we follow the logic, it would only prove that the Czarneckis are Spanish, but not in any way that they are Jewish, unless Spanish = automatically Jewish ;-)
czarneccy.strefa.pl/html/etymology.html
If you are really interested.
Also, if we follow the logic, it would only prove that the Czarneckis are Spanish, but not in any way that they are Jewish, unless Spanish = automatically Jewish ;-)
Magdalena
18 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
Facts: there are no Czarnecki and / or Czerwiński place names in Spain. There is no connection whatsoever between Czarnecki and Sotos. And, last but not least, as a native speaker I can assure you that there is no way the surname Czarnecki could be a corruption of Czarnegaje, especially that Polish would not really allow for a surname like Czarnegaje in the first place.
Facts: there are no Czarnecki and / or Czerwiński place names in Spain. There is no connection whatsoever between Czarnecki and Sotos. And, last but not least, as a native speaker I can assure you that there is no way the surname Czarnecki could be a corruption of Czarnegaje, especially that Polish would not really allow for a surname like Czarnegaje in the first place.
Magdalena
18 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
How about Czerwiński then? If you believe what the site says about Czarnecki, you should believe what it says about Czerwiński (i.e., the same thing). ;-)
"Czarnecki" thus could've come from "Sotos" in terms of there being forests with a name such is, e.g., Sotos Negros (Czarne Gaje).
How about Czerwiński then? If you believe what the site says about Czarnecki, you should believe what it says about Czerwiński (i.e., the same thing). ;-)
Magdalena
17 Jul 2012
Genealogy / Is Czarnecki Really A Polish Or Actually A Sephardic Jewish Surname? [110]
genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/c/bl_name-CZERWINSKI.htm
Try this on for size ;-)
Seriously, check it out.
genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/c/bl_name-CZERWINSKI.htm
Try this on for size ;-)
Seriously, check it out.
Magdalena
17 Jul 2012
Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]
And that's NOT individualistic. Riiiight. :->
Poles just have to process ideas through their own head and follow their own will, whatever it may be. They will never take someone's word for something.
And that's NOT individualistic. Riiiight. :->
Magdalena
14 Jul 2012
Language / Czech language sounds like baby talk to most Poles. Similarities? [222]
szlafrok is a Polish borrowing from German. The Czech word for szlafrok is... župan ;-p
szlafrok is a Polish borrowing from German. The Czech word for szlafrok is... župan ;-p
Magdalena
13 Jul 2012
Life / Individualism in Polish culture...Is it almost Nonexistant? [170]
Poland is not a socialist country - but the UK definitely is. Off topic, I agree.
Please bear in mind that North Korea and Poland started their adventure with communism / socialism in exactly the same way. Poland used to be a totalitarian country, too (Stalinism, anybody?)
Can you spot the differences in their further development?
Off topic but.....Poland IS a socialist country and North Korea.....are you kidding? Try totalitarian.
Poland is not a socialist country - but the UK definitely is. Off topic, I agree.
Please bear in mind that North Korea and Poland started their adventure with communism / socialism in exactly the same way. Poland used to be a totalitarian country, too (Stalinism, anybody?)
Can you spot the differences in their further development?